Humidor.



No. 892,916. PATENTED JULY 7, 1908. F. A. TRAVER.

HUMIDOR.

APPLICATION FILED, OUT. 24, 1907.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK A. TRAVEB, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOSEPH H. ZILMERMANN AND JOHN E. FITZGIBBON, BOTH OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

HUMIDOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 7, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it known that I, FRANK A. TRAVER, a citizen of theUnited States, residi at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwa ee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Humidors, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a art thereof.

This invention re ates to devices for suplying air with moisture for various purposes. ts 'main objects are toregulate and automatically control the humidity of air in inclosures such as cigar cases, and generally to improve the construction and operation of ap aratus of this class. w

t consists in certain novel features of construction andin the. peculiar arrangement and combination of parts as hereinafter particularly described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accom anying drawing like characters designate the same parts in the several figures.

e 1 is a vertical longitudinal section on t e line 1 1, Fig. 2, of a humidor embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a cross sec .tion of the same on the line 2 2, Fig. 1; Fig.

3 is a plan view and Fig. 4 an end elevation as viewed from the left with reference to Figs.

. 1 and 3.

The device comprises generally an evaporating receptacle, a lid, cover or valve for opening said receptacle more or less and permitting more or less evaporation of the liquid contained therein, and an expansion member composed of some substance which ex- 1 pands and contracts under the influence of varying degrees of moisture, .and operates automatica y to open and close the evaporating receptacle more or less accordin to the humidity of the surroundi air. '1 ese elements or parts may be ma e of various shapes and sizes and of any suitable materials, and they may be arranged and connected different Ways to perform their functions.

But one of various forms in, which the device may be embodiedis shown for the purpose of illustrating and explaining the incom lete y close or open the ports therein.

To acilitate filling or supp ying it with liquid, usually water, the receptacle a is provided at one end with a spout e, which communicates therewith throu h an opening into the lower art thereof below the ordi nary liquid leve therein.

A capillary screen or wick f, consisting of a stri of cloth or absorbent material, is wound bac and forth through the receptacle a around vertical wires or rods g, adjacent to its ends, and serves to increase evaporation when the receptacle is opened more or less.

A perforated or open-work case h, which may also. be conveniently made of sheet metal, is suspended below and parallel with the rece tac e a by metal bands or hangers i, from t e top plate or frame b.

The expansion member d, which may consist of a strip or bar of wood with the ain running crosswise thereof as shown in Fig. 1,

is inclosed in the case 72; and attached at one end to a s ring At the other end it is provided wit a stem 7:, which asses loosely through the adjacent end of t e case h, and is connected bya lever l and link m with the cover 0, the lever Z being fulcrumed to the adjacent end of the case it and its longer arm being connected with the cover so as to multifplyl the swelling and shrinking movement 0 t e wood-due to variations in the humidit of the surrounding air. The spring 7', which affords a yielding bearing or abutment for the ex ansion member d to work against, is attached at the outer end to a nut or seat 77., threaded on a screw 0, which is swiveled and immovable endwise in the adjacent end of the case h. I

The device as herein shown and described, primarily designated to maintain the air in a ci ar'case or similar inclosure, at the desire degree of humidity, operates as follows: The receptaclea being filled or supplied with water and placed in a ci ar case or other inclosure, the member d w' swell or expand and shrink or contract according to variations in the humidity of the surrounding air. When the air is the wood or other material of which said member is composed,

. humidity shrinks or contracts and o ens the-cover c, asshown in Figs. 1 and 3, allowing the water in receptacle a to evaporate and the vapor to escape therefrom into the case or inclosure, thereby increasing the humidityof the air contained therein. Under the in- .moved in the opposite direction by the shrinking or. contraction of the member (2,

thereby opening the cover more or less and permitting more vapor to escape from said receptacle into the case or inclosure until the air contained therein has attained the desired degree of humidity.

The foregoing operations take place automatically as long as the receptacle (1 is supplied with water, the member d swelling or expanding and shrinking or contracting according to variations in the humidity of the surrounding air, and closing and opening the cover 0 more or less, so that the desired degree of p in the case or inclosure is maintained within certaindesired limits, according to the adjustment of the instrument.

After the cover is fullyclosed or opened, the

spring yieldsand permits further ex ansion or contraction of the member (I wit out injury to the apparatus.

The-adjustment of the nut or spring seat n by means of the screw 0 will cause the member (1 to close and openthe cover 0 more or less for any given amount of ezfpam sion or contraction of said member, an the degree of humidity to be maintained in the surrounding air by the apparatus may thus be varied as desired.

Various changes in details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made without materially affecting the ,principle or .mode of operation of the device and without departing from the spirit and intended scope of the invention.

I claim: k

1. In a humidor the combination of a liquid receptacle, a cover therefor, and a member composed of a substance which expands and contracts under the influence .of var ing degrees of atmospheric humidity and W 'ch is arranged to open or less according! to such variation in the humiditfiof the air, substantially as described.

a humidor the combination of a liquid receptacle, a movable cover therefor, and a member composed of a substance which and contracts under the influence nected with said cover so as to open the same as the humidity of the air increases, and vice versa, substantially as described.

eeaeie I 3. In a humidorthe combination-of a liquid receptacle, a cover therefor, a wooden expansion member exposed to the surrounding air and connected with said cover so as to open and close thesame more or less accordin to variations in the humidity of the air, substantially as described. 4. Ina humidor the combination of a liquid receptacle, a cover therefor, a wooden expansion member exposed to the surrounding air and connected with said cover so as to open and close the same mgre or less according to variations in the humidity of the air, the grain of the woodbeing arranged trans versely tothe direction of the movement which it im arts to the cover, substantially as describe i 5. In a humidor the combination of a liquidreceptacle, a cover therefor, a member which ex ands and contracts under the infiuence o varying degrees of atmospheric humidity connected with and adapted to open and close said cover, andmeans of adjustment'for varyin the amount of opening of said cover by said member for a given'degree of humidity, substantially as described.v 6. In a humidor the combination of a liquid receptacle, a cover therefor, and an expansion member of wood connected at one end with said cover and'havinga yielding bearing at the other end, substantially as described. w

7. In a humidor the combination of a liquid receptacle, a cover therefor, and an expansionmember of wood connected at oneend with said cover and having an'ad'ustable' bearin at the other end, substantia y as describe a 8. In a humidor the combination of a liquid receptacle, a cover therefor, an open case and close said -cover more adjacent to said receptacle, and an expansion strip of wood inclosed in said case and connected at one end by a lever with said cover and having a yielding bearin at the other end, substantially as describe 9. In a humidor the combination of a liquid receptacle containin a capillary screen, a cover or said receptac e and an expansion member connected with said cover and composed of a substance which expands and contracts under the influence of varying atmospheric humidity, substantially as described.

10. In a humidor the combination of a liq-. uid receptacle, containing a sinuous ca illary screen arran ed to di mto the liqui contained in said ceptacle, and an expansion member exposed to the surrounding air and connected with said cover, substantially as described.

11. In a humidor the combination of a liquid receptacle having a multiported top, a

correspondingly multiported cover therefor,

receptac e, a cover for said rcsurrounding air and connected with said 7 cover, substantially as described.

12. In a 'humidor the combinationof a liquid receptacle having a filling spout communicating therewith through an opening below the ord nary liquid level therein, a cover for saidreceptacle, and an expansion member exposed to the surroundin air and connected with said cover, substantially as described.

13. In a humidor the combination of a frame, a liquid receptacle removabl fitted in said frame, a sliding cover for sai receptacle guided in said frame, and an expansion strip exposed to the surrounding air and connectigi with said cover, substantially as descn 14. In a 'humidor the combination of a multiported plate, an open top liquid eceptacle removably connected with said plate which serves as a top therefor, a correspondingly ported cover movably mounted on said plate, and a member ex ansible b moisture exposed to the surroun air an connected with said cover, substantlally as described.

In witness whereof I hereto aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

- FRANK A. TRAVER. Witnesses:

CHAS. L; Goss, Amen E. Goss. 

